


Promising

by Leni



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Magical, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-24
Updated: 2018-03-24
Packaged: 2019-04-07 10:45:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14079189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leni/pseuds/Leni
Summary: His consciousness swam to the surface, teased awake by the light scent of perfume.Belle.Inspired by @nropay's artwork.





	Promising

**Author's Note:**

  * For [NropaY_OneEye](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NropaY_OneEye/gifts).



 

His consciousness swam to the surface, teased awake by the light scent of perfume.  _Belle_. Gold smiled without opening his eyes, basking in her company and happy to picture her curled in the armchair to his right, with her nose deep in a book.

The scratch of pencil against paper made him reconsider.

“What are you doing, sweetheart?” he asked, the words unintentionally rough with sleep.

He heard her sudden intake of breath, and when he turned, ready to apologize for startling her, he caught her biting her lower lip in blatant appreciation of his voice.

His reaction was met with a giggle, which only made him flush harder. The mutual attraction between them was a fact to which he was still reconciling himself.

“I couldn’t resist,” she told him, tapping the upper edge of her sketchbook. “With the curtains open, this room has the perfect afternoon light.”

Neither mentioned that Gold had resisted the idea, or that she’d almost twisted her ankle implementing it on the spot. “Just like you thought,” he admitted.

Belle smiled. “I have a good eye for such things. It  _is_ my job, after all.”

He chuckled, amused at the hint of challenge in her voice. In time, she would see that he truly didn’t intend to hold her back. “About time you got started with my commission, then,” he muttered, then realized she must have been sketching him in his sleep. “Shouldn’t I have some say in how I’m to be pictured?”

The corners of her lips lifted, drawing a playful curve. “No. This one will be my wedding gift.”

“All the more reason for me to choose-”

“A gift for me,” she informed him. “Yours is almost ready, though you’ll have to be content with a simple frame. It was the best I could do by myself.”

“Oh, Belle. You know I’ll love anything you give me, but we can send it out and have it fit for the main hall.” His other treasures would suffer in comparison, a thought that made Gold smile. “I’ll have Dove look for the best.”

Belle shook her head, and Gold almost insisted until he caught the mischievous look in her eye. “Belle?”

Belle was still smiling as she abandoned pencil and sketchbook and rose to her feet. “You once told me I wouldn’t truly capture the essence of a subject until I’d taken a honest look at myself.”

Gold nodded, a hundred remarks on the shift of their relationship between then and the present running through his head, and suddenly too tongue-tied to say any of them.

The hungry expression on Belle’s face held him transfixed.

“You were right,” she said.

Her skirts brushed against his knees, and he wordlessly opened his legs so she could perch onto his lap.

“I thought of you, and of how you make me feel when we’re together-” the last word was punctuated by a pass of her hands over his shirt, leaving him in no doubt over her meaning- “and I was very, very honest.”

“Saints above…”

“Would blush to see it,” she confided happily, though her own cheeks were stained with pink. “For your eyes only, love. Believe me, you’ll insist.”

He was nodding already. Then he laughed, amazed by the ways in which this fantastic woman blindsided him.

“I love you,” he told her, then drew a sharp gasp when one of her hands found its way to his skin and moved decisively to play with one of his nipples. “Belle, darling…”

“Love that too, huh?”

“Not as much,” he said, promising himself to return the favor as soon as she was satisfied with her foray. Her eyes shone with happiness, and he felt a surge of pride to know he was the cause. His hand moved to grasp her chin with that hint of forcefulness that made her nostrils flare - yes, just like this - and pulled her closer. “This comes closer, though.”

Their eyes met, the two of them coming to an instant understanding.

“You already locked the door, didn’t you?”

Belle nodded, looking so pleased with herself that he just had to kiss the grin on her face.

“But what will the servants think?” he asked, mimicking her short-lived panic from what seemed a lifetime ago.

It was difficult to remember that Belle had once been afraid of him, when her eyes now wore only a mixture of amusement and affection - and enjoyment. His hands had been taking advantage of the interlude, traveling down her front to indulge in the weight of her bosom.

She squirmed with pleasure, but still followed his lead in their little role-reversed reenactment. Now it was her turn to shrug unconcernedly. “Hang the servants!”

“My reputation, you understand…”

Her beautiful blue eyes flamed with impatience. “Hang reputation too,” she hissed, shifting until she was sitting astride him and his right hand was beneath her skirts. “Must we really discuss your attitude toward the job I’ve put before you? Perhaps you’d like to list your qualifications?”

Gold traced a line from her knee to the juncture between her legs, enthralled by her welcoming warmth.

Above him, Belle petted his hair approvingly. “That’s a promising start.”

  
The End  
11/03/18


End file.
